Uncovering Neural Mechanisms of Chronic Pain in Post-Treatment Lyme Syndrome - Healthy Controls
| Sponsor: | Columbia Lyme & Tick-borne Diseases Research Center |
| Enrolling: | Male and Female Patients |
| Clinic Visits: | 2 |
| Age Range: | Between 18 and 55 years old |
| IRB Number: | 7756 |
| Contact: | Lyme Center: 6467747503 / lymecenter@cumc.columbia.edu |
We are recruiting healthy volunteers to participate in our diagnostic brain imaging study. This new study aims to investigate individuals experiencing persistent pain that was triggered by Lyme Disease. By utilizing brain imaging (functional MRI), we hope to gain a better understanding of why patients have ongoing problems with persistent pain, fatigue, and sensory sensitivity even after antibiotic treatment. We suspect that Lyme disease may change the pattern of an individual's brain activation, making him or her more sensitive to pain than a healthy person. To test this hypothesis, we will compare key neurochemical biomarkers and the functionality of neural pain networks in patients with chronic Lyme Disease symptoms and healthy individuals with no chronic pain. If we can identify hyperactivated brain networks in Lyme patients with chronic pain, then that information can inform the design of new diagnostic testing and treatment options that target symptom reduction.
| Are you between the ages of 18 and 55 years old? | Yes | No |
| Do you have any non-removable metal in your body? (ie. pacemaker, surgical implant, braces, etc.) | Yes | No |
| Are you right-handed? | Yes | No |
| Do you have have any blue (metallic ink) tattoos? | Yes | No |
| Have you been clinically diagnosed with Lyme Disease? | Yes | No |
